Date of Award

January 2023

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Biology

First Advisor

Vasyl Tkach

Abstract

The superfamily Diplostomoidea Poirier, 1886 consists of a diverse, globally distributed group ofparasitic flatworms parasitic as adults in reptiles, birds, mammals, and very rarely, fish. The superfamily Diplostomoidea has a tumultuous history full of genus synonymizations and resurrections. Currently, the superfamily consists of 39 genera parasitizing primarily piscivorous animals as adults to include birds, reptiles, and mammals. This group of parasitic worms remains a highly active area of research and has recently undergone several major systematic changes including the abandonment of a subfamily-based system. Additionally, the influx of data entries in GenBank has lead to confusing nomenclature and misidentifications at the genus level. We have clarified the identity of species belonging to Posthodiplostomum, Diplostmum, Austrodiplostomum, Tylodelphys, Neodiplostomum, Crassiphiala, and Neofibricola through molecular tools and the description of new species.

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